Faster, less messy to make, these crispy air fryer chicharrones are the perfect snack or meal for air fryer lovers.
Why we ❤️ it
Chicharrones are our national guilty pleasure, and not a thing that we make at home or consume often. Personally, the main reason I avoid it, is that I hate frying and the mess that comes with it. With an air fryer, you can make a quicker, easier chicharrón without the mess.
And while not exactly the same as the traditional chicharrones, I think that the savings in time and effort make up for the small sacrifice in texture and flavor worth it.
Air fryer cooking
This is a recipe that I wrote because many of our readers suggested I did. Air fryers have become a very popular appliance in our time-strapped kitchens nowadays, as well as other popular time savers like electric pressure cookers, and slow cookers.
So far we've added a recipe for air fryer tostones, air "fried" potatoes, one for chicharrón de pollo, and one for yaroa that you can make in the air fryer. Check them out. All of those, as well as this recipe, have instructions for alternatives if you do not have an air fryer.
About this recipe
Bear in mind that the super crispy chicharrón that we know and love is produced by a time-consuming, arduous process, which is why the vast majority of Dominicans simply buy chicharrones, instead of making them at home. This recipe simplifies the process but does not yield exactly the same result.
Pre-cutting the chicharrones allows them to be cooked through, with crispy skin, and still juicy meat. This way we can get our chicharrones fix without having to spend hours cleaning grease off our kitchens.
Recipe
[Recipe + Video] Easy and Quick Air Fryer Chicharrones
Ingredients
- 2 pound pork belly, [0.91 kg]
- 2 limes, (plus some extra lime wedges for garnishing)
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
Instructions
Chopping the meat: Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Seasoning: Squeeze the lemon juice over the meat. Combine with all the remaining ingredients. Stir to coat the meat in the seasonings and lime juice.Let it rest covered for 25 minutes in the fridge.
Cooking: To cook in the air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 350 ºF [175ºC]. Place the meat pieces in the air fryer bowl, skin-side up. Cook for 25 minutes, or until they turn a golden-brown color.To cook in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 ºF [175ºC]. Place the meat on a wire rack, skin-side up. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they turn a golden-brown color.
Video
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
Video
Published Nov 12, 2020, and last revised
